Swimming pool cover



\ April 16, 1957 R. s. LINGARD SWIMMING Poor. COVER File'd March 24,1954 SWIMMING POOL COVER Russel S. Lingard, Arcadia, Caiii".

Application March 24, 1954, Serial No. 418,372

5 Claims. (Cl..160188) My present invention relates to swimming poolcovers, and it relates pmticularly to a vswimming pool cover which maybe selectively extended out over a swimming pool or compactly foldedinto a housing at one end of the swimming pool.

lt is well known in the art to provide fabric swimming pool covers whichmay be stretched across a swimming pool from a plurality of anchoringmembers disposed about the edge of the swimming pool in order to keepthe water in the swimming pool clean and in order to prevent childrenfrom falling into the pool.

However, prior art swimming pool covers of this char acter are verydifficult to install and to remove, so that a considerable amount oftime is consumed in installing and removing swimming pool covers of thistype. -An other diiculty in connection with this type of prior artswimming pool cover is that it does not have sutiicient strength toinsure against the possibility of children falling through the swimmingpool cover.

Another type of prior art swimming pool cover consists of substantiallyrigid, sliding panels which slide over the swimming pool. This type ofswimming pool cover Vhas the disadvantage of being highly expensive andof occupying a great deal more space than can normally be allotted to aswimming pool cover.

It is therefore an object of my present invention to provide a swimmingpool cover which is motor driven into and out of its covering positionover a swimming pool.

Another object of my present invention is to provide a swimming poolcover which may be moved alternatively between its covering positionover a swimming pool and into a folded position within a housing at oneend of the vswimming pool.

novel relations of the members and the relative proportiom'ng,disposition and operation thereof, all as is more completely describedYherein and as is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.Y

United States PatentfO i pool.

2,788,849 Patented Apr.` '16, 1957 ICC Figure 4 is a vertical sectionalong the line 4-4 of Figure 3 showing my drive gears in operativeengagement with my subsurface racks, and also showing my means forsupporting the motor for driving my swimming pool cover between theextended and retracted positions.

Referring to the drawings, in Figure 1 I have illustrated a. typicalswimming 'pool 10 having an edge coping 12 with a surrounding walk 14.

Extending all of the way across swimming pool 10 at one end thereof ismy cover housing 16 for enclosing my swimming pool cover when the coveris in its retracted position. Cover housing 16 consists of a frameconstruction 18 which is preferably composed of aluminum, but whichalternatively may be composed of wood or of any metal, or any othersuitable materials, the frame 13 being provided with a substantiallyrigid top portion 20 upon which is mounted'an upholstered cushion 22.

By thus situating my cover housing 16 at one end of the swimming pool,and by providing the upholstered cushion 22 on the top thereof, my coverhousing 16 forms an ideal sun and drying deck upon which bathers maycomfortably recline.

My cover housing 16 is enclosed on all sides except the side facing theswimming pool, this side being left open for the retraction of theswimming pool cover into cover housing 16.

My swimming pool cover consists, in general, of a cover member 24 whichis preferably composed of duck canvas treated with plastic, this canvascover member being supported upon a foldable framework which is adaptedto fold into the recess within cover housing 16. Although l prefer touse duck canvas treated with plastic because of its high textilestrength, any other suitable cloth, plastic or rubber cover member 24could be used.

Alternatively, a plurality of light weight metal cover sections (notshown) could be used in place of the single preferred cover memberl 24.

The frame which supports Lmy cover member 24 is hingedly attached nearthe rear wall of cover housing 16 as .at 26, and consists, in general,of a plurality of folding legs 23 which are adapted to fold in anaccordion-like manner as is best illustrated in Figure 2 of thedrawings.

Each of the folding sections 28 comprises a framework yincluding a pairof parallel longitudinal members 29 disposed, in their extendedpositions, over the swimming pool edge coping 12 at opposite sides ofthe swimming The longitudinal members 29 of each folding section 28 arejoined at one end to alateral member 30 by hinges `32 located underneaththe longitudinal members '29 and the lateral member Sil, and are joinedat the other end to another lateral member 30 by means of hinges 34located-at the top of vlongitudinal members 29 and this lateral member30.

' 4In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of presentspecification,

Figure i is a plan View of a swimmingapoo'l withniy 't Vswimming poolcover in its partially extended position.

'Figure l villustrating my driving means for extending and retractin'gmy swimming''pool cover.

f jinchesffwideby our and three.

By thus alternating the hinges between successive folding sections 28with alternate bottom hinges 32 and top hingesv34, the sections 28 willfold in an accordion-like manner as in Figure 2 of the drawings.

I prefer to provide longitudinal and lateral members 29 and 3G,respectively, which afepomposedofa ylight weight metal in tubing form,.fsu as' aluminum tubing. For example, longitudinal Iunembers 29 maybecornposedjf .rectangular aluminum tubing which is three (3) quarter(1S/) inches high, and l-lateral members 30 mayA be composed of squarealuminum tubingr which is one and three-quarters (1%) inches wide andone and three-quarters (13A) inches rhigh. l-Iowe-,ve1'-',itA is to beunderstood that tubing 'ofany .other dimensions may beused, and that'other longitudinal fandlateralmemberszland, respectively, `may b'efnsed,

3 K. Y. Y

such as angle members instead of rectangular andvsquare tubing members.

Each end of the lateral members 30 having top hinges c,34 attachedthereto'is supported on an integral truck whichis adaptedto roll Yalongtheside edge coping 12 on the Swimmingpool to permit the extension andretraction of my vswimming pool cover. In order to facilitate thestorage of my swimming pool cover within cover Yhousing 16, I placealternate trucks on each side of the swimming pool in a dierent lateralposition so Ythat the trucks will overlap when the cover is in itsfolded 40 upon which is mounted one or more rollers or wheels 42 topermit the trucks to freely roll along the edge coping 12` of swimmingpool 10. Both ends of alternate lateral members are integrally supportedon the blocks of trucks 36 or 38, as the case may be.

In Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, I have shown my preferred drivemechanism 46 for driving my swimming pool cover between its extended andretracted positions. Drive mechanism 46 includes a pair of drive gears48, one of which is disposed on each side of my swimming pool cover nearthe forward end of the cover. Bach of the drive gears 48 is in drivingengagement with a subsurface rack 50, subsurface racks 50 being disposedslightly below the suface of edge coping 12 along each side edge ofswimming pool 10, and having upwardly directed teeth.

Drive gears 48 are mounted on a shaft 52 which is housed in theforwardmost lateral member 30 and which is journaled in shaft supportbearings 54 that are mount ed within the forward lateral member 30.

Theforward end of a motor platform 56 is suspended,

Vby, means of platform support bearings S8, from one end of shaft 52which extends beyond one of the drive gears 48 at one side of theswimming pool cover. The rear end of motor platform 56 is mounted on oneor more suitable rollers or wheels 60 which are in turn in rollingengagement withV edge coping 12.

DriveV motor 62 is mounted on motor platform 56, and isvoperativelyconnected in Vdriving engagementY to shaft 52 by means of motor sprocket64 attached to the motor drive shaft, drive chain 66' and drivensprocket 68 which is integrally connected to shaft 52. l

Power is supplied to motor 62 by means of electric power line 70 whichis preferably contained on a spring loaded reel (not shown) associatedwith cover housing 16 which will pay out electric line 70 as the coveris moving toward its extended position, and which will automatcally reelin the power line 70 as the swimming pool cover is moved toward itsretracted position. A suitable control switch (not shown) forcontrolling the electric power appliedrto motor 62, and also forcontrolling the direction of rotation of motor 62, may likewise beassociated with cover housing 16, or may alternatively be disposed inany other convenient place.

Having thus completely described the preferred embodiment of my'swimmingpool cover, I will now describe the preferred manner in which myswimming pool cover operates.

When the swimming pool 10 is in use, or when it is 4not desired to havethe'eswimming pool 10 covered, my

swimming pool vcover is normally in its completely folded positionwherein it is entirely contained` within cover hcni'sing 16. lI -fit isthen'desired tocover the swirrmairigY pool, allthat isnecessary is tooperate the'control switch or lever (not shown) to provide powerto'motor 62 in vsucharnanner that the motor will turn anti-clockwise in'Figure 3 of the drawings. Motor 62then drives shaft 52 opposite sidesof the swimming pool cover are driven in y' an anti-clockwise direction.The driving engagement b'etween drive gears 48 and their respectivesubsurface racks 50 will drive the gears 48, and hence the front end ofthe swimming pool cover, out of the stored position within cover housing16 out over the swimming pool 10 in the manner best shown in Figure 1 ofthe drawings until the swimming pool has been entirely covered. At thispoint, the power Vto electric motor 62 may be shut off manually by asuitable control switch (not shown), or it may be shut off automaticallyby suitable automatic shut-off means (not shown).

The cover will remain in this extended position until such time as apower switch (not shown) is actuated to provide electric power to motor62 in such a Vmanner that motor 62 will turn clockwise in Figure 3 ofthe drawings to drive the drive gears 48 clockwise along subsurfaceracks 50 until the cover is in its completely housed position withincover housing 16.

My swimming pool cover has the obvious advantages of being operable bythe mere throw of a switch to automatically cover or uncover a swimmingpool in a matter of seconds.

. When my swimming pool cover is not in use, it is conveniently storedin a minimum of space within a container which is so positioned at oneend of the swimming pool as to form a convenient sun and drying deck.

My swimming pool cover has suiiicient strength to prevent children orother persons from accidentally falling within the swimming pool, and itso completely covers the swimming pool that no dirt or debris of anykind can fall into the pool. My preferred swimming pool cover which hasa duck canvas cover member 24 impregnated -with plastic will withstandpressure of more than pounds per square foot at any point on the surfaceof the cover, and if it is desired, stronger cover members 24 may beprovided, or additional frame members may be added, such as additionallongitudinal members similar to longitudinal members 29 which may beplaced intermediate the longitudinal members 29 which arefdisposed ateach end of each of the folding sections v28.

A further advantage of my swimming pool cover isY VContact with aprotrusion extending above the edge coping or walk about a swimmingpool.

f It is to he understood that the form of my invention herein shown anddescribed is my preferred embodiment and that various changes in theshape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from thespirit of my invention, or the scope of my appendedclaims.

I claim:

l. A swimming pool cover alternatively movable between stored Yandextended positions, and drive means Vattached to'said cover near itsIfront end and in driving engagement with the ground adjacent to saidswimming pool for moving said cover between said stored and extendedpositions.

2. A swimming pool cover alternatively movable between stored andextended positions, -a rack having up-v wardly directed teeth disposedalong one edge of 'a swimming pool, a drive gear rotatably mounted onsaidrcover near its front end yand in driving engagement with saidv 3. Aswimming pool cover including a plurality of hinged sections which maybe alternatively collapsed in a folded storage position Yadjacentto oneedge of a swim- 'ming' poolandextended over said pool to substantiallythrough ,drive :hainv1 t6,f wherebyrthe drive fgears #851m V,7l coversaid' pool, 'a rack having upwardly directed teeth disposed adjacent tosaid swimming pool, a drive gear rotatably mounted on said cover nearits front end and in driving engagement with said rack, and a source ofrotary power operatively connected to said drive gear for driving saiddrive gear in either direction to move said cover between said foldedand extended positions.

4. A swimming pool cover alternatively movable between a stored positionat one end of a swimming pool and an extended position substantiallycovering said swimming pool, including a rack with upwardly directedteeth disposed 'adjacent to each side of said swimming pool, Ia drivegear rotatably mounted on each side of said cover near its front end,said drive gears 'being in driving engagement with the respective saidracks, and power means lfor rotating said drive gears in unison ineither direction to move said covei between said stored and extendedpositions.

5. A swimming pool cover including a plurality of hinged sections whichmay be alternatively collapsed in a folded storage position adjacent toone end of a swimming pool and extended over said pool to substantiallycover said pool, a rack having upwardly directed teeth -disposedadjacent to each side of said swimming pool, a rotatably mounted driveshaft extending across said cover near its front end, a source of rotarypower for driving said drive shaft in either direction of rotation, anda pair of drive gears mounted on said drive shaft on opposite sides ofsaid cover vand in driving engagement with the respective -said racksfor moving said cover between said folded and extended positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS834,287 Frey Oct. 30, 1906 1,960,860 Allen May 29, 1934 2,517,393 LawAug. 1, 1950 2,593,360 Sulkowski Apr. 15, 1952 2,684,714 Corey July 27,1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 540,916 Great Britain Nov. 5, 1941

